New “living” museum for Household Cavalry

The Household Cavalry is planning to create a new museum at its Horse Guards headquarters in London

The Household Cavalry Museum Trust has won initial approval for £1.9 million Lottery funding to create a new museum at its Horse Guards headquarters at Whitehall.

The “living” museum will provide an insight into the regiment’s role from the 17th century to the present day, allowing public access to the historic Horse Guards building for the first time. The regiment also hopes that it will play an active role in future recruitment.

David Waterhouse, who spent 15 years with the Household Cavalry, is overall development officer for the project.

“A soldier on a horse is an iconic image of London – the Household Cavalry has had an unchanged job for 350 years,” he said. “At the museum, the public will be able to see inside the working stables, which the north-west corner of the building backs on to.”

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded the trust a £62,000 development grant, which will be put towards design and planning of the project. This is also a strong indication that the full £1.9m will be awarded.

The trust was founded in 1963 to secure the future of the Regimental Museum and its collections, which are currently housed at Combermere Barracks in Windsor. Cash from the windfall will also be spent on refurbishing and extending the archiving and educational facilities at Combermere Barracks.

If everything goes to plan, the project could be completed in 2005.

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